Matamata Swifts 0 v Te Awamutu 6

The lack of a game over the Easter break clearly showed on Saturday as the Matamata Swifts football team sunk to an ignominious 6-0 defeat at home to long time rivals, Te Awamutu. The Swifts started slowly and, apart from the occasional spark of life, got even slower, turning a fixture that in previous years was full of blood and thunder into the easiest of cakewalks for the visitors.

The match was mathematically finished as a contest by the half-hour mark as the visitors raced to a three-goal lead courtesy of some naïve Swifts defending and some expert finishing. In truth, however, the game was over well before the third goal hit the back of the net as the Swifts, for some inconceivable reason, chose this occasion to put in a performance lacking in character, heart and pride.

Te Awamutu added a further three goals to their tally during the second half, but they only came after Matamata's best period of the game. Roused from their slumber at the break, the Swifts looked likely to grab a goal or two back during the first twenty minutes of the second half, only to have what could have been a promising comeback snuffed out when they conceded the softest of penalties. Two late goals rounded out a thoroughly miserable day for the home team.

What made the defeat all the more frustrating for Matamata was the fact that, man for man, Te Awamutu were not that much superior to the Swifts. They were, however, full of running and had the happy knack of finding the back of the net when the opportunity arose. They also used their brains, which was something severely lacking from Matamata's game. Unfortunately those qualities were enough to turn what should have been a close run thing into a massacre.

Best for Matamata were sweeper, Neil Wiseman, whose attempt to control the chaos at the back ensured the Swifts weren't totally overrun, and new signing, Billy Garcia, one of the few Swifts who was full of running. Unfortunately, due to the disgraceful state of the playing surface, Garcia was unable to unleash his full bag of tricks on his opponents. Adam Graham playing, by necessity, out of position at centre back, also performed admirably.

The Swifts will hope for better next week as they travel to Tokoroa to fulfil a fixture that, even at this early stage of the season, looms as one they must win.

Swifts XI 1-Ian Moody; 3-Scott Grooms, 13-Neil Wiseman (11-Justin Read, 75m), 10-Adam Graham, 2-Gwyn Hughes; 4-Colin Taylor, 7-Bevan Shelley, 5-Garry Ewing, 8-Corey Clements; 9-Billy Garcia, 14-Joe Alves (12-Phil Ruck, 65m).

Other Results Cambridge 1 v West Hamilton 3, Claudelands 0 v Hamilton North 1, Melville 2 v Tokoroa 1, Ngaruawahia 3 v Putaruru 5, Otorohanga 2 v Wanderers 2.

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